Genetics and the Search for Modern Human Origins

A major debate in anthropology concerns the relationship between
anatomically modern humans and earlier "archaic" humans including
the Neandertals. What was the origin of modern humans? Did we arise
as a new species in Africa 200,000 years ago and then replace
archaic human populations outside of Africa, or are our origins
part of a single evolving lineage extending back over the past two
million years? In addition to fossil and archaeological evidence,
anthropologists have increasingly turned to using genetic data on
living populations to address this question. Patterns of genetic
variation within and between living human populations are felt to
contain clues as to our species' evolutionary history, and provide
a reflection of the past.

This book reviews the modern human origins debate focusing on the
genetic evidence relating to our origins, including genetic
variation in living humans and recent discoveries of ancient DNA
from fossil specimens. Following a brief introduction to the
problem and a review of evolutionary genetics, the book focuses on
gene trees and the search for a common ancestor, genetic diversity
within populations, genetic distances between populations, the use
of genetic data to reconstruct ancient demography, and Neandertal
DNA. The main point of the text is that although the genetic data
are often compatible with a replacement model, they are also
compatible with some multiregional models. The concluding chapter
makes the case that modern human origins are mostly, but not
exclusively, out of Africa.

"This textbook provides a good introduction to the field of human
populations genetics for people lacking a genetics background.... I
hope that his book will ultimately encourage more students to enter
this exciting field." (Trends in Genetics, Vol. 17, No. 9,
September 2001)

"...controversies...grounded in a solid college-level introduction
to how the genetic code and evolution account for genetic
diversity." (SciTech Book News, Vol. 25, No. 3, September
2001)

"I found Relethford s discussion of the recent Neanderthal
mitochondrial DNA findings to be the most cogent explanation I have
read to date.... I recommend his book to anyone interested in
modern human origins." (Linda Wolfe, Anthropology News)

"Relethford writes...in a lucid and engaging manner. He
dispassionately examines the major controversies surrounding modern
human origins and clearly identifies the ways in which the genetic
data impinge on the predictions of the explanatory models....[T]his
book will appeal to the general science reader, as well as being
suitable for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in
Biological Anthropology." (American Journal of Human Biology)

"...an accessible guide through the models and the data...will be a
popular recommended text..." (Heredity)

The modern human origins debate is finally illuminated with the
first clear and understandable discussion of the genetic arguments
on both sides. Relethford is a key player in this debate, and he
brings to it a sorely needed perspective, placing the exciting
laboratory results in the theoretical frame that explains them, and
doing it in manner that the rest of us can grasp. It's good
writing, because it's good thinking, and Relethford is to be
congratulated for his efforts in clarifying and explaining the
complex issues that underlie the conflict between Multiregional
evolution and the Eve Theory.--Milford H. Wolpoff,
Paleoanthropology Laboratory, Department of Anthropology,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

"[The author] has presented a deeply thoughtful and provocative
assessment of our understanding of modern human origins. I think it
takes the whole debate forward by a quantum leap." --Rosalind
Harding, University of Oxford

Instructors

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